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A modest proposal for Scholarly Behavior 精选

已有 20450 次阅读 2015-11-12 08:18 |系统分类:海外观察

For new readers and those who request to be “好友 good friends” ,  please read my 公告first.

A modest proposal for a new beginning:  a Hippocratic Oath for S&T workers

I was invited by the National Science Review (official magazine of the Chinese Academies of Sciences and of Engineering) to author the following perspective -

http://nsr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/10/27/nsr.nwv055.full.pdf?papetoc (also reproduced below) intheir latest issue. Take a look and give me some feedback. Thank you.

 

National Science Review Advance Access published October 27, 2015

Subjectcategory: SCIENCE POLICY Type:

Perspective:

A modest proposal for a new beginning: aHippocratic Oath for S&T workers

Yu-Chi Ho

In the last thirty some years Chinese scientific research have seen  tremendous growth along with the miraculous economic and social progresses.  As an oversea Chinese scientist I am very proud of the achievements. Rapid growths always come with some side issues that need to be addressed  along the way. The problem of scholarly misbehavior in China is well known  and the systemic causes of the problem have also been extensively discussed.  There is no need for me to repeat them here. Under President Xi’s anti-corruption effort, reducing such misbehavior is one component of the effort.  What I would like to propose is a modest step towards the solution of this  problem. The advantages of the proposal are that it is inexpensive,  can be  effective,  possibly precedentsetting, and have worldwide impact.  There is also some experimental evidencethat it may work.

In the US as well as some universities in China with which I am familiar,  all authors of Ph.D. thesis are required to sign and incorporate as an integral  part of his/her written thesis a pledge that the work is “original and not  copied from other sources . . .“. Otherwise the thesis cannot be approved.  While someone may falsely sign such a pledge, the consequence is  immediate when discovered.Knowing such a requirement also helps to prevent  misbehavior from the start.Hence I propose that the Chinese Academies of Sciences and of Engineering take lead in initiating and maintain a public National  Register for Scholar Pledges.Every scholar starting with leaders is urged to sign a pledge that from this day forward they will not engaged in scholarly misbehavior  in their work. The register can be divided via disciplines and/or institutions  publically maintain on the World Wide Web (WWW)for all to see. The advantages of such a register are numerous. Let me just mention a few of them as to why  do I believe the effort is worthwhile:

1. Since the register is public, it will serve as a deterrent against temptations for  misbehavior by signers.

2.Any misbehavior will now be the sole responsibility of the signers. This will absolve the institution from any blame/scandal and avoid the Chinese custom “not display family dirty laundry in public” which leads to cover up rather han sanctions.

3. Once started by leading scholars as signers, pressure will begin to exist  on other non-signers (After all, howcan anyone be against such  a pledge? And why didn’t you sign?)

4. It will be relatively costless for the Academies to implement such a  scheme while the benefits are many.

5. It will show the world China’s determination to stop scholarly  misbehavior and anexample for the rest of the world.


Of course, I am aware that there are obstacles and possible objections  to such a scheme.First, it has been my experience and knowledge of China that  for any task to succeed, the order must first come from the top.  Thus, I urge the CAS and CAEto take lead in initiating this if they feel the effort  will be worthwhile.Only their approval is needed. Very little effort on their part is necessary.The scientific public, I believe, will enthusiastically support it. Second, leading scientists including Academicians may consider signing such a register beneath their dignity or even insulting. This is very true. But let me just point out that the medical profession require all doctors (famous or not, including Nobel laureates) subscribe to the Hippocratic Oath on ethical behavior. If medicine practices this why shouldn’t all sciences and technology? If the S&T leaders such as the Academies of Sciences and of Engineering take lead in organizing such a register, no one should feel this is an insult. In fact,by taking  the lead to do something for China, one can feel it is an honor to do so. Signing can be viewed as an act of patriotism. You sign not because of personal benefit but as an aspiration for others. Even if an academician genuinely feels it is a sacrifice of his/her dignity to sign, just consider it as a small sacrifice in return for all the benefits the government bestowed on you as a leading scientist or academicians. Third, some people may feel this is a  trick by the government to convict them of lying for any indiscretions however small they may have committed in the past. Hence, the proposal does  not address the past and only deals with “from this day forward”.  Of course,detailed implementation of such a scheme needs to be worked out. But I leave it to Chinese researchers who are much more familiar with tradition  and customs to determine.

And for readers who agree with this proposal, you are urged to support  it by writing tothe Chinese Academies or this Journal.

 Note added 11/12 10:00am EST:

Despite the fact that I remind readers every year and inform new readers at the beginning of every one of my blogs to read  http://www.sciencenet.cn/blog/user_content.aspx?id=22498 where I explain as to why I write in English (為什么我用英文写?) I get taken to task periodically for writing my blogs in English.  While I don’t take such criticism personally, it is always a good policy for readers not to rush to judgement.  


Yu-Chi Ho School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (emeritus professor) , Harvard University, USA E-mail: ho@seas.harvard.edu

 

Note added 1/13/2016. A Chinese translation of the abopve article is now available at http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=1565&do=blog&id=950232 




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IP: 212.128.158.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [19]李天成   2015-11-19 19:26
I have resent it by using another email account, professor. Thx
回复  Got it this time. Thanks.
2015-11-19 21:281 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 212.128.158.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [18]李天成   2015-11-16 21:36
Dear professor. Many thanks for your interest to my work. I have emailed you a copy of it.
Regards
回复  I have yet to receive your e-mail after two days.
2015-11-18 23:191 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 212.128.158.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [17]李天成   2015-11-14 02:55
Dear professor, allow me to take the honor to broadcast the "1st of the Trilogy" of my 'big plan' work here (although it has nothing to do with your blog/proposal except you are the first person acknowledged in the paper) and also for your information     ....

Effectiveness of Bayesian filters: An information fusion perspective
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020025515006969
回复  Can you just sent me the paper via e-mail. I was not able to access the site.
2015-11-14 07:261 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
回复  Can you just sent me the paper via e-mail. I was not able to access the site.
2015-11-14 07:262 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
回复  I cannot access the site
2015-11-14 07:283 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 58.23.8.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [16]肖友华   2015-11-13 22:41
向何老师学习
IP: 212.128.158.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [15]李天成   2015-11-13 17:58
yes, professor. I fully agree with you, especially on the part that most people are "good-natured". Such a pledge/scheme as you proposed will let good people feel better treated. They will believe: good behavior matters! This will encourage good behaviour. So in my view, the encouraging effect that your proposal has might be more meaningful and important than a penalty/warning -- this might be exactly what you want.

Given time, the whole community will have more and more consensus. This is a good start, though it might be somewhat hard to make the first step.
IP: 61.190.88.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [14]陆泽橼   2015-11-13 16:00
Thank you very much for yuour advice!I will search the material wrote before.
IP: 118.113.45.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [13]qzw   2015-11-13 11:49
I agree. 另外,何老写的英文蛮好懂,不时用点中国成語很好。第2点用了"家丑不可外扬”?
回复  Thank you.
2015-11-13 11:591 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 61.190.88.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [12]陆泽橼   2015-11-13 09:02
敬爱的何院士您好!您说为工业界做咨询,是不是指为高科技企业?还是面向一般工业界,提供技术战略上的咨询还是企业运营咨询,还是其他方面的咨询,做这些咨询需要一些什么额外的训练么,在国内是否有这种需求,谢谢您!
回复  Remember industry is different from government sponsored research. Industry will only pay you to solve their problems and to help them make money. They do not care how many papers you publish. Thus, think from their point of view not your self-interested view. consulting is different from research. Occasionally the two interests coinside or their problem stimulate new research. But that is the exception rather than the rule. I have written on this before. Do a little bit of work and search for what I wrote before.
2015-11-13 12:041 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 212.128.158.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [11]李天成   2015-11-13 02:10
But, I agree the biggest problem is just what you has raised as your first worry that "for any task to succeed (in China), the order must first come from the top."  If such a scheme is carried out in the manner of "order", it will loose the desired effect significantly as most people will not take it seriously (they will just do the job exactly like obeying the order, just to avoid any penalty or so). If it is not carried out as an order, who will do it initiatively?  Again, as said "we are in fact a unity of disunity."  It is root problem. But in ture, could activities/schems like your proposal enhance our unity and consensus? maybe and hopefully! we need to start step by step.....
回复  I appreciate the complexities you raised. But a journey of thousand miles start with the first step. Let us all  try to take a modest small step first and then see what can be accomplished next.
2015-11-13 02:261 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
回复  (note this is a reply given later after 2;26, the time of my other reply).

You are also right that it is the system that needs reform. However, I still believe most of human beings are "good-natured". Cumulative small changes can also make the system evolve as the past since 1978 demonstrate. Let us be optimists and not give up.
2015-11-13 07:072 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 212.128.158.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [10]李天成   2015-11-13 02:02
It is indeed a very good, especially practical, proposal for a very big community to enhance the Self-restraint for each of its members.  It is a shame that such a big scholar community did not have any kind of such pledges or rules (as i know). We are in fact a unity of disunity.

What most worthy is the merit that "the proposal does not address the past and only deals with “from this day forward”. This has been similarly argued by someone for governing/monitoring government officials (e.g. anti-corruption), or may the government has already started to do so (treating "past and new" corruptions differently).

Based on this scheme, all of us will start "the same" from a new line, whether you have good or bad records before. For the people who has bad records, it is a chance for him to restart a new life ("the scheme is saving him, by the last chance") while for the good people, he just need to carry on and will feel "more fairly treated for his good behaviors -- at least he will be more aware that people now are caring about this!".
回复  Well said.
2015-11-13 02:271 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 213.230.72.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [9]高峡   2015-11-12 20:53
改善学术环境,建议适时推出学术环境评价,设学术环境指数9个:科学兴趣、崇尚学术精神、学者自主度、学术交流、同行评议、科研过度竞争、科学道德、学术团体发展、与国际接轨。高峡
回复  Thanks for your comment.
2015-11-12 23:121 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 157.82.234.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [8]窦杰   2015-11-12 15:31
Fantastic expression.
回复  Thanks for your support.
2015-11-12 22:461 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 58.23.8.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [7]肖友华   2015-11-12 15:04
   对自己的学术道德底线负责签个字挺好
回复  Thanks for your support.
2015-11-12 22:471 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 218.0.4.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [6]魏冉   2015-11-12 14:43
thanks for sharing
IP: 114.111.167.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [5]许培扬   2015-11-12 14:20
何院士给国家科委主任宋健的信正好十周年了,他当年指出的中国学术不端问题没有得到有效的遏制,近几年反而更为严重,值得大家深思,必须采取强有力的措施解决这些问题,取信于国际科学界。http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=280034&do=blog&id=934561
回复  Thanks for the suppoert.
2015-11-12 22:461 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 123.53.75.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [4]李春杰   2015-11-12 13:45
If you won the Nobel prize, you could wirite only by English when you face chinese colleagues.
回复  Please read my added note at the end of my article.
2015-11-12 23:011 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
回复  Please read my added note at the end of my article.
2015-11-12 23:012 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 183.157.160.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [3]张阳阳   2015-11-12 12:38
Good suggestions!
回复  Thanks for your support.
2015-11-12 22:471 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
回复  Thanks for your support.
2015-11-12 22:482 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
IP: 175.12.146.*   回复 | 赞 +1 [2]林育   2015-11-12 12:27
确实应该说中文吧。
回复  Please read my added note at end of the article.
2015-11-12 23:001 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复
hidden
IP: 27.16.96.*   | [1]用户名   2015-11-12 12:11
评论已经被科学网删除
回复  Please read my added note at the end of this article.
2015-11-12 23:011 楼(回复楼主) 赞 +1 | 回复

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